Walking Worthy of the Gospel
Being the Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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1 As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
PRAY
Our 5th and final message for now on “Being the Church” focuses on living in love and unity with other believers.
We’ve talked about
The participation of every member
The role of the Scriptures in our personal and family lives
The pursuit of personal holiness
The importance of generous giving
And now our final focus is on getting along with each other and living in love toward one another as we seek to fulfill Christ’s purpose for His Church.
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Statement from Church Constitution on Member Responsibilities:
[Members] are entreated: d. To fellowship in Christian love and unity with the entire membership, so as to avoid the development of factions. 1 Cor. 1:10; James 2:1-5.
We must live in love and unity with everyone who’s part of the church; we must not be divisive or refuse to associate with anyone who’s part of the church; we must seek to get along with everyone here.
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Illustration: Band
From 5th grade through my Master’s Degree, I played in different bands. I mostly played clarinet, but I played bass clarinet some as well.
How many of you have played in some kind of band or orchestra? Or maybe you had friends who did.
When we talk about the biblical idea of unity, I think this is an especially helpful image for us to have in mind.
In a band or orchestra, is everyone playing the same instrument? No, of course not. In a band you have many instruments, such as clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, french horn, trombone, tuba, percussion, and others. And in an orchestra you add all the string instruments such as violin, viola, cello, and bass.
They are made up of several different kinds of instruments, each with its own unique sound and contribution to the whole.
And when things are functioning properly, each instrument follows the same piece of music. Each instrument plays different notes, but they all play in the same key, following the same rhythm, following the lead of the conductor. And when each member performs the part that corresponds to it, a beautiful piece of music results.
But if any of those elements are missing or distorted, then the music that the band plays will not correspond to what is written on the page of music.
What makes for beautiful band music is the creative genius of a composer who writes the masterpiece, and a diversity of instruments determined to play together in harmony in the same key and rhythm following their conductor’s lead to produce the beautiful sound of the music that corresponds with what has been written.
The Church is like a band. God is the musical genius who has written a masterpiece called the Gospel, the most beautiful music ever composed. As the Church our job is to play this masterpiece, to accurately perform music that corresponds to what is written in the musical score. Every member has a different instrument to play, so to speak, but we share a common purpose and goal: to accurately represent what is written in the music, and when we do this, we demonstrate the creative genius of the Great Composer.
When diverse people come together — men and women, old and young, rich and poor, different ethnicities, and many other differences — when we all come together and work together and live in love toward one another united by the truth of the Gospel, this brings great glory to God and great joy to us.
So as we talk about the unity of the church, keep this image of a band in mind.
Unity in a band doesn’t mean that everyone is playing the same instruments or the exact same notes. It means that each instrument is working together with all the others toward a common goal and purpose, to perform beautiful music. And unity in a church doesn’t mean that everyone thinks exactly the same and does all the same things. Unity in the church means that we are all working together toward a common goal — to live life together in a way that corresponds to the beautiful truths of the Gospel.
Ephesians 4.
In the first 3 chapters of Ephesians, Paul has laid a lot of the ground work for what he says in our passage today, 4:1-6. He has masterfully explained the truths of the Gospel and all that God has done in Christ. Based on the truths of the Gospel expressed in chapters 1-3, Paul begins chapter 4 this way:
1 As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
Main Idea: Because of our common experience of God’s grace in the Gospel, we must live in unity and love toward other believers.
The Gospel is what unites us. But the Gospel that we preach and believe doesn’t only affect our minds; it changes our actions as well. It changes the way we think about other people, the way we speak to other people, and the way we treat other people.
1. The Basis for Unity Is the Truth of the Gospel (v. 4-6)
Unity is not the goal at the expense of truth. We must be united by the truth of God’s Word, and more specifically the truth of the Gospel of what God has done for us in Christ. The Truth of the Gospel is the basis for our living in love and unity with one another.
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Did you notice a word that’s repeated several times there? 7 to be exact. It’s the word “one.” The basis for our oneness or unity as a body of believers is the oneness or unity of the Gospel message we believe and proclaim.
One body - Ephesians 2 tells us God has brought together Jews and Gentiles into one body. 1 Corinthians 12 speaks of this as well.
One Spirit - The Spirit is the one who has brought us into one body - 1 Corinthians 12.
One hope - hope of the return of Christ, of being with him, of eternal life through faith in Christ.
One Lord - The Lord Jesus Christ, our Master
One faith - a common faith for Jews and Gentiles (see Romans 3)
One baptism - not referring to physical baptism but spiritual baptism - all being placed together in the body of Christ by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12)
One God and Father of all - one true God, not multiple Gods; the Trinity (Spirit, Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father)
7 things that unite us (7 as the number of perfection/completion) - we have these things in common
The Basis for Unity Is the Truth of the Gospel
Because of our common experience of God’s grace in the Gospel, we must live in unity and love toward other believers.
2. The Lifestyle of Unity Corresponds to the Gospel. (v. 1)
1 As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
The calling / vocation you’ve received - not the general call / invitation of the Gospel; rather the effectual call of the Gospel, when God actually brought you to Christ through the message of the Gospel.
9 He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.
There is a kind of life that corresponds to this effectual calling from God.
Walking - a manner of life; lifestyle
1 As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
6 Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him,
6 Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
2 and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.
There is a way of living that is worthy of the effectual call of God to salvation.
Worthy (corresponding to; suitable; fitting)
1 As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
There is a way to live that corresponds to the truth of what God has done for us in Christ.
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.
Based on the truth God revealed to him, there is a way that Abraham should live.
27 Nevertheless, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending side by side for the faith of the gospel,
10 so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
12 encouraging you, comforting you, and urging you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.
There is a way to live that fits the truth of the Gospel. There are thoughts, words, and actions that correspond to what God has done for us in Christ. There is a kind of life that is worthy of the salvation God has given us. And the kind of life that corresponds to the Gospel is a life of unity — living in love and peace with other believers.
Illustration of a puzzle:
When putting together a puzzle, some pieces fit together, and others don’t. Some are closer to fitting than others, but there is one specific piece that corresponds to each side of the puzzle piece, and when you force the wrong puzzle piece there, the picture won’t look right.
So there is a way of life that fits what we profess to believe.
The Lifestyle of Unity Corresponds to the Gospel
Because of our common experience of God’s grace in the Gospel, we must live in unity and love toward other believers.
The specific things Paul tells us in v. 2-3 tells us that these things have to do with how we treat other believers, our attitudes, actions, and words toward other Christians.
3. The Practice of Unity Publicly Displays the Gospel. (v. 2-3)
When people observe the church, they ought to see the truths of the Gospel on display in our lives and how we treat each other.
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
3 and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Humility - when we have a proper view of ourselves and of God, it will cause us to treat other people rightly.
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
8 Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble.
NLT Galatians 6:3
3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.
NLT Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
We ought to think well of others, assume the best about others, look out for their interests.
Gentleness - closely related to humility; meekness; gentle, humble, kind in your treatment of others
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Patience - dealing with difficulties of other people.
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Tolerance - bearing with one another; not with a negative attitude, but seeking to get along patiently and forgiving when they wrong us.
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
13 Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love - the virtue that undergirds all the others - the greatest of these is love (Paul in 1 Cor 13)
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
34 A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Diligence to Keep the Unity of the Spirit - passionate urgency to preserve or maintain the unity that comes from the Holy Spirit; we have to work hard at this all the time, not just once. This is something that we must constantly be pursuing with a sense of urgency and zeal.
3 and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
21 that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one—
23 I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me.
10 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree together, so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be united in mind and conviction.
We must fight the natural desire to fight and divide over opinions and personal preferences.
12 The body is a unit, though it is composed of many parts. And although its parts are many, they all form one body. So it is with Christ.
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.
Unity is the spiritual reality of who we are in Christ. So we must live in light of this spiritual reality.
14 And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.
Bond of peace - we are bound together in Christ as with a chain - stuck together; we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and through Christ we also have peace with each other.
3 and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility
19 So then, let us pursue what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
14 Pursue peace with everyone, as well as holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.
17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peace-loving, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere.
The Practice of Unity Publicly Displays the Gospel
Application (bowed heads)
Do you get along with other believers in this church?
Do you think badly about other people here? Do you have negative or unkind thoughts toward others? Or are you humble in your evaluation of yourself and others?
Do you speak unkind words to or about other believers here? Or are your words kind and uplifting?
Do you treat other believers well? Are you working hard to show love and to serve other believers here?
Do you get along with other believers outside of church? How about online?
Are you a believer?
By God’s grace we must work hard to live out the truths of the Gospel in the way that I treat other believers.
Because of our common experience of God’s grace in the Gospel, we must live in unity and love toward other believers.
PRAY